What's Left of Us
by fanfictionisahobby
Summary: Humanity has fallen to the infection, it has been twenty years since the collapse of the era of the human race. Now an aged smuggler who lost the most important thing in his life because of the infection will now have to take a young girl who desperately wants a family across the country to create a cure that will save mankind from the infection.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's an idea that I've wanted to do for a long time. I wanted to post this to see what you guys think of it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Walking Dead **_**or **_**The Last of Us**_**. All rights reserved to their respective owners.**

A young girl slept in a bunk bed within a dark military room. Ever since humanity had to deal with the infected, the human race had to adapt and become stronger. So instead of a normal classroom with parents and a home to return to, all children were provided with difficult military drills and education. Suddenly the door cracked open and a young boy approached the sleeping girl. He closed the door behind him with a smirk on his features. He reached her and hissed and began to pretend to chomp at her neck. She yelped and pushed the boy off of the bed. She swiftly grabbed her pocket knife that she kept under her pillow and opened the blade, ready to attack.

She then looked to see a laughing boy on the ground with his hand up in surrender. "Duck?" The girl asked surprised to see the boy.

"Ow… you are surprisingly strong." Duck said as he laughed. He got up and continued, "Oh well, it was worth it."

The girl sent a playful glare at the boy in shoved him. "That is not nice. I could have hurt you, you know?"

"I got you." Duck said teasingly. He then frowned and said, "Where's your hat?"

"On the nightstand." The girl remarked as she pointed to the said object.

"You without that hat… it's just so weird." Duck said.

"It's my trademark." The girl chimed. She then frowned and said, "Duck where have you been? I haven't seen you in… I don't know how long."

"Forty-six days." Duck said confidently. He then smirked and said, "You want to see what I've been up to?"

The girl looked to him sadly and said solemnly, "All this time… I thought you were dead."

Duck nodded sadly and said, "Yeah…" He trailed off as he looked to her with a regretful stare. "Here." Duck said as he took off a set of tags. "Take a look."

The girl accepted the tags and looked at them. It read Duck's official name which is Kenny Jr. McBoats on the front. She turned the tags around and her eyes widened upon seeing the Firefly logo on the back. "No way." The girl said ecstatically.

"You bet." Duck said. "I'm a Firefly now, Clem." Duck then went over to wall and noticed the photo of him and Clementine that was taken a few years ago. He plucked it from the tack that was holding it in place and said, "You still have it." The picture showed Clementine and Duck siting side-by-side with Duck giving her bunny ears. As he looked it over, Clementine rushed to the door and opened it. "What? What are you doing?" Duck asked.

Clementine analyzed the hall in both direction and closed the door upon seeing that it was clear. "I'm making sure that I don't get caught with a Firefly in my room." Clementine responded.

"Relax." Duck said. "There are no soldiers on the entire floor."

With that, awkward silence surrounded the two as the only sound to be heard was the rain outside pattering against the overflowing gutters. Clementine huffed and said somewhat coldly, "Here congrats." She handed his tags back but Duck wouldn't release his grip.

"Hey." Duck said noticing the bitterness in her voice. "Are we cool?" Clementine huffed and shook her head. "Okay I get it." Duck said. "I disappeared and you're mad…"

"You think?" Clementine scoffed

But Duck interrupted her and continued, "And I owe you an explanation. So, let's get out of here and I'll tell you all about it."

Clementine shook her head and said, "Duck, I can't. It's almost morning and I have military drills."

Duck scoffed and said, "Put some pants on and let's go. I ain't taking you anywhere when you're wearing PJ's." He then exited the room and allowed her to change. She looked down and noticed that she was wearing a pair of purple plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt. She then eyed her bed and thought of just going back to sleep.

She sighed and said, "I always get wrapped up in some stupid stuff, don't I?" She proceeded to change into a pair of jeans which replaced her pajama pants followed by a pair of socks, a pair of blue shoes, and finally her trademark white and blue hat with the letter 'D' on it. She then grabbed her backpack and walked out into the hallway to see Duck leaning on the wall and giving her a smirk.

She rolled her eyes as he said, "Okay, this way. Just try to stay low and stay quiet." Duck said as led the way towards a fire escape, one of the buildings easily exploited weaknesses that none of the military instructors knew about. Clementine followed him and they started to head for the direction of the mall.

**30 Minutes Later**

"Hurry." Duck whispered. A military truck started approach them as Clementine lifted a window that led into an abandoned building. Duck quickly went into the room that was provided by the opened window followed by Clementine. The headlights shone above as Clementine landed on the ground and the sound of the truck running off pierced through the tense filled atmosphere and gave the two a moment's relief. "Oh man. That was close, huh?" He then smirked and said, "Fast as always, you haven't missed a beat since I last saw you."

"Thanks." Clementine said.

"Well, up we go." Duck said as he raced toward the stair and started to climb them. He turned his flashlight on while also keeping a sharp eye out for any infected.

Clementine nodded and she ran after the boy. "So how'd you find them?" Clementine asked as she followed Duck.

"Who? The Fireflies?" Duck asked as reached the top of the stairs.

"Yeah." Clementine said.

"Okay, remember that one Firefly that I bit and stole his gun?" Duck asked as he continued to run through the desolated building.

"Yeah, I usually have to be the one to scold you for doing dumb things like that." Clementine said.

"Well, anyway, that was Vince." Duck began to explain. "I saw him walking down the street so I tailed his ass. I followed him into this alley and all these Fireflies ambushed me." Duck squatted down to avoid a couple of plywood boards that covered up a doorway and continued as Clementine followed him, "They took me to their hideout, to Marlene."

"We're you scared?" Clementine asked as they passed through a kitchen and dining room setup and into another hallway.

"Terrified. I thought this time that she would actually shoot me." Duck said. "But instead, she just asked: 'What took you so long?' She was expecting me."

"And she just made you a Firefly?" Clementine asked.

"Something like that." Duck replied. "That whole almost killing me thing was a test. She wanted to know if I was committed."

"Oh…" Clementine said as she looked around. She then noticed a wanted poster of Marlene on the wall and said, "Hey, there's your boss."

Duck chuckled and said, "She asked about you."

"Really?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah." Duck said. "She said that you remind her of your mom."

Clementine scoffed and said, "Well, she would know more than me." They approached a room with a collapsed ceiling and noticed a couple of large pieces of furniture at the corner of the room. Duck went over and climbed the two pieces of furniture followed by his friend.

They reached the floor above and Duck said, "Come on, we're making good timing. So who do you hang out with these days?" Duck asked as he and Clementine continued to walk with each other.

"I hang out with Becca every once in a while." Clementine said. "She can be mean though."

"Huh? How about Arvo and the rest of the guys?" Duck asked as he hopped into another room through a hole in the wall.

"Duck, those are your friends. I don't like hanging out with them by myself. Besides, you know Arvo doesn't like me." Clementine explained.

"Alright, alright, point taken." Duck said as Clementine followed her friend's procedure and hopped into the other room. This new room was especially dark with no windows which forced Clementine to turn on her own flashlight which was hooked onto her backpack. Inside, the room was a typical large apartment setup, with a well-decorated living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a couple of bedrooms. Duck motioned Clementine to follow him. They arrived at another opening which led to a laundry room.

Clementine followed Duck and she asked, "So what, do you buy into this thing now? I mean, we've been soldiers all our lives."

"Yeah, well, wouldn't you want to be something other than a typical, dumb soldier?" Duck asked as he rounded the corner and went into the hallway. "I'm sick of being just a cookie-cutter soldier; I want something more. Wouldn't you want that for yourself?"

"You know what I want." Clementine said as they continued down the hall. "I want a family."

Duck rolled his eyes at his friend's comment and they continued down the hall. He has always known Clementine and one of the biggest things she complains about is not having a mom and dad to take care of her. In the background the two could hear Vera announcing in a very monotone voice, "Attention. We are pleased to report the zone has been free of cordyceps infection for thirty days-"

"Thirty days my ass!" Duck spat as the two ran up the stairs to the next floor. "People are getting infected all the time, they just do a good job of hiding it." They reached the top of the stairs to which they were greeted by a chain of broken windows which allowed the cool night air to freely enter the building.

"You've run into more infected?" Clementine asked.

"As part of my initiation, they made me kill this…" Duck explained as they continued to walk down hallway that had the chain of broken windows. "You know let's talk about something else." He then climbed out of one of the windows and ran across the rooftops.

"Alright." Clementine replied as she ran followed him. She shivered as the rain continued to pour down. "Cold rain tonight." Clementine said.

Duck scoffed as descended to another section of the roof. Clementine quickly followed but then he heard a dreaded noise. It was an army truck and it was close by. "Oh shit! Hide!" Duck exclaimed. The two children hid behind part of the roof and watched on as three army trucks passed by some apartments on the opposite side of the street. "Oh man…" Duck huffed and he got up. "Sorry, I'm a bit jumpy lately." He then continued to walk across a wooden board. "Careful, it's wet." Duck said.

"Yeah, I got it." Clementine replied and she walked across the wooden board. They got across and turned their flashlights on. "Hey." Clementine said to get Duck's attention. "Maybe I should join the Fireflies?"

"Clem that was the first thing I asked Marlene." Duck said sadly. "She wants you safe at that stupid school. I'm not even supposed to come see you."

Clementine stared down and shook her head. "I'm not safe at that school. I'll never be safe there. It's a deathtrap."

Duck then eyed one of their favorite hideouts. He went to it and descended to the floor below from a hole in the ceiling caused by corrosion. Clementine followed him as he asked, "You remember the first time I brought you here?" Duck asked.

"You mean drag me against my will?" Clementine asked.

Duck scoffed and said, "You were crying the whole time, begging me to take you back home."

"I was afraid we were going to get in trouble. You know how mean Tavia is." Clementine said

"She's a bitch, isn't she Clem?" Duck said as they walked through the building.

"Duck, you know my rule. I'm not going to swear. I don't care if you swear, but I'm not." Clementine said.

"Fine, whatever." Duck said in a defeated tone. "Anyway, I have a surprise for you."

"What?" Clementine asked. "Is it a dinosaur?" They approached a long-abandoned escalator and walked down from it.

"Maybe..." Duck chuckled.

"I'll be your best friend again, if it's a dinosaur." Clementine said.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Duck said.

Clementine then eyed a poster of a water gun called the Typhoon Blitz. She and Duck had the two water guns but the corporal, William, confiscated them for being toys. "You ever get them back by any chance?" Duck asked as he looked to the same poster.

"No, I don't think he's ever going to give them back to us." Clementine said.

"Dick." Duck spat and the two walked away from the poster and continued down another flight of escalators. There at the bottom of the escalator, was a tent that one of the army members, Winston, had set up. Unlike most of the guards, Winston was a kind man who loved his privacy, which explained why he placed his home far from the other members. "Oh Winston." Duck sighed sadly as he went up to the tent. Clementine joined him and he asked, "So, what happened to him. All I heard was that he passed on."

"He just fell off his horse." Clementine said. "Doc said something about him having a heart attack."

"Damn…" Duck said sadly as he looked over to the tent. "Well, how many people get to die of natural causes in this world?" He then looked to Clementine.

"Winston's the first that I heard of." Clementine replied.

"Exactly." Duck said. He smirked as he looked back to the tent and said, "Let's go see what he left us." He then went into the tent. Clementine sighed figuring that it was a bad idea to go through the possessions of a deceased man but ultimately followed Duck inside. "Bingo!" Duck said as he pulled out a glass of liquor. "Want some?" Duck asked as he offered Clementine the bottle.

"I don't drink." Clementine said. "Besides, someone's got to keep a leveled head, since the other wants to get drunk."

"Suit yourself." Duck said. He then tipped the bottle up and drank some of the liquor. He immediately spat it out. "Yuck!" Duck exclaimed. "Ugh… man Winston! You're hardcore!" Clementine smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. "Anyway, let's keep moving." Duck said and they left the tent.

After exploring some of the old features in the mall, the two finally reached the wall of debris that had collapsed from the ceiling above many years ago. The did find a way to go through it by using a rebar and lifting some of the debris to where it was capable of being entered and going through a crossable pathway, but of course, it wasn't safe.

"Clem, come and help me lift this." Duck said as he wrapped his fingers around the metal pole and waited for his friend's assistance.

She grabbed the end of the rebar and together they lifted it to reveal the entrance of the small crawl spaced to get on the other side of the debris. "I hate crawling through there. It feels like we're going to get crushed." Clementine grunted as she struggled with the weight of the debris. The two then went towards a rock that would hold the rebar up.

"It's fine." Duck grunted struggling equally with the weight of the debris as he backpedaled. Finally, the rock came in view out of the corner of Duck's eye and he placed the rebar on the rock. "You first." Duck huffed as the metal started to groan. Suddenly, the rebar gave way the debris fell to the ground with a crash. The broken half of the rebar fell to the ground with a loud clang and the two looked at the wall of debris somewhat frightened by what had happened. "You know what? How about we find another way?" Duck suggested.

"That's the best idea you've had all day." Clementine said as she started to look around for an alternate route.

After several minutes of searching, Duck spotted an opening in the form of a shattered window. "Hey look, there's an opening over here." He then stood in front of door and cupped his hand. Clementine looked to him questioningly and he said, "Clem, this isn't too hard. Up and over."

"Why do I have to be the one who gets hoisted up into that store?" Clementine asked.

"Because, you can't lift me and you barely weigh anything. Now come on." Duck replied.

Clementine sighed and placed her foot in his cupped hands. He then lifted her up to the shattered store window which made her yelp. She then climbed over the window and down onto the store floor below. She turned her flashlight on and her eyes widened in wonder and amazement. It was a store filled with Halloween masks, gags, and props. "Well? You see anything?" Duck asked from the other side of the door.

Clementine then smirked as an idea hits her. It was time for revenge from earlier. She quickly grabbed a clown mask and took her hat off momentarily to place the mask over her head. "Clementine?" Duck asked. She went over and unlocked the door and cracked it open waiting in excitement for Duck to enter. The boy entered and looked to the giant Frankenstein figurine in the middle of the store.

"Blaahrrrr!" Clementine exclaimed as she jumped towards Duck. Duck screamed and fell to the ground terrified by the sudden scare. Clementine laughed as she took the mask off.

"Clem, what the hell?" Duck exclaimed as he got off from the ground.

"I got you." Clementine said teasingly as she placed her hands on her knees and looked down to the boy.

"My gosh, you're going to give me heart attack at young age." Duck said. Duck then looked around as Clementine discarded the clown mask and placed her baseball hat back onto her head. "How in the hell did we never find this place?" Duck asked.

"I don't know." Clementine said. "We could really cause some mayhem in here."

Duck then eyed a mask of a werewolf and said, "Hey cool, a werewolf mask." He then placed it on his head and he looked to Clementine. "What do you think? Do I look scary?"

"You look hairy." Clementine said.

"I'll take it." Duck said. "Come on, let's see what this place has."

Clementine rolled her eyes at her friend's antics, but she was genuinely curious to see some of the props. She approached a skeleton display which read: Ask Skeleseer a Question… and Shake for your Fortune.

Clementine shrugged and said, "Worth a try." She picked up the skeleton and asked, "Will I ever have a family?" She then looked at the bottom of the skeleton which read: Your chances are dismal. "Good thing, I don't believe in fortune-telling." Clementine stated as she placed the skeleton back on the display.

They continued to play around in the store picking up masks and trying them on. Clementine then eyed a jar of fake eyes on one of the shelves and asked, "People used to buy this stuff. Gross." She then placed it on the shelf and turned around to see Duck pop out of a wooden coffin with a zombie mask on laughing manically. "Lame." Clementine said with a shrug.

"Seriously? I had to have scared you a little bit." Duck said but Clementine shook her head in response. "Damn." Duck said.

"So you ready to move on?" Clementine asked. "You said that you had a huge surprise for me."

"Yeah, come on." Duck said as he removed the zombie mask and went to a set of doors. The two pushed the doors open and Clementine followed Duck. Duck then eyed two SUV's on the floor below. He stopped and asked, "You see those cars down there?"

"Yeah." Clementine said.

"The red one's yours. I'll be blue." Duck explained as he picked up a brick. "We throw bricks. Whoever breaks all of the window to their car wins."

"You're going down." Clementine said with a smirk and she picked up a brick.

"Alright." Duck said. "Let's make this interesting. Whoever loses… has to answer a question. No sarcasm."

"Alright, you're on." Clementine said and the two started to throw bricks at the windows of their respective car.

Duck acted quickly, hoping to get a quick lead over Clementine and threw his brick, but the brick broke to pieces when it hit the top of the blue SUV. "Bullshit." Duck complained.

Clementine took more time to hit the red SUV, but the time used to aim for the window was rewarded with a satisfying smash. "Alright!" Clementine cheered.

Duck grabbed another brick but this time he took time to be accurate, while Clementine went off to look for another brick. He threw the brick which smashed rear window. "Crash!" Duck exclaimed.

However, his crash was followed by another as the red SUV's sunroof window broke to pieces. "Two for two!" Clementine exclaimed.

Duck grabbed another brick and smashed the passenger side rear window as Clementine smashed the passenger side window.

"Two down!" Duck exclaimed.

Clementine then quickly ran to view the front of the vehicles and threw the brick and smashed the windshield. "Bingo!" Clementine cheered.

Duck smashed the passenger side window and exclaimed, "Oh yeah, Brick-Throwing Champ right here."

Clementine then proceeded to smash the driver's side windows as Duck broke the driver's side windows and sunroof window. Duck did catch a break when Clementine missed one of the driver's side windows. However, they were now neck-and-neck. Clementine had to run back over and smash the passenger side rear window and Duck had to smash the passenger side window. They both grabbed a brick and threw at their respective windows at the same time, but Clementine's brick smashed the window since she didn't throw her brick in haste like Duck did. Instead, his brick went low and crumbled to pieces upon hitting the passenger door.

"Ha ha! That does it! I'm the Brick-Throwing Champion!" Clementine exclaimed in victory.

"My car had tougher windows." Duck said.

"You mean your aim was horrible." Clementine smirked.

Duck chuckled and said, "Fine, what do you want to ask me?"

Clementine pondered for several seconds thinking of a good question to ask him. Finally she asked, "Okay, why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"

Duck huffed and said, "I was in a weird spot. I actually didn't tell anyone. Everything was happening so fast and I couldn't slow it down."

"I'm not anyone, though. We've been really close friends for… life." Clementine said sadly.

"I know, which is why I want to get you to this thing. I want to make amends for leaving you and not telling what's been going on." Duck explained.

Clementine huffed and said, "Lead the way." Duck nodded and they went towards a pair of double door, one in which was blocked by debris. The door creaked loudly upon being open by Duck. He gestured to Clementine to follow, and they went down the hallway which led to two flights of stairs.

"What are we doing here?" Clementine asked. "This is place is starting to creep me out."

"So, you know how we thought they can only power certain areas in the city?" Duck asked.

"Yeah?" Clementine said.

"Follow me." Duck said as he went into the hallway at the bottom of the stairs.

"Like I have a choice?" Clementine asked and she ran into the hallway after the boy. He turned into a room at the very end of a hallway and looked over several circuit boards and breakers.

Clementine looked to him questioningly as he examined the setup. "So turns out…" Duck said as he pistol whipped the locked fuse box. "The whole city has power." He grunted again as he pistol whipped the lock, but this time it broke off. "They just flip the circuit breakers." He then opened the fuse box to reveal a large lever and said, "All you got to do is flip it back."

Clementine approached the fuse box and said, "There's no way this is going to work." But she went ahead pushed the lever to the opposite side. Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the lights started to glow for the first time in almost twenty years. Clementine's eyes widened and a smile developed on her facial features.

"I told you so." Duck said with a smirk.

"So wait. The whole mall is lit up?" Clementine asked.

"Let's go find out." Duck said as he ran back into the hallway; Clementine followed him and they reached the very end of the hallway. Double doors blocked their way and Duck asked, "You ready for this."

"Wait, I…" Clementine tried to get the next set of words out but trailed off as Duck looked to her with questioning stare. "I know what you're trying to do and… I'm really glad that you aren't dead." Duck looked down sadly with a nod as Clementine continued, "I mean, I'm really glad that we're back together and-"

"I didn't mean it." Duck said sadly. "All that stuff I said before I left, I didn't mean any of it."

The two stood there looking into each other's eyes. Clementine looking into Duck's hardened brown eyes and Duck looking into Clementine's large amber orbs. Finally, Clementine hugged Duck and he hugged back. "I don't want us to be fighting. You're my best friend, Duck."

Duck released her from the hug and held her by her shoulders. "You're my best friend, too. Now come on; I want to see what this place looks like being lit up." The two pushed the double doors open and were amazed by the sight they saw…

…**To be continued.**

**A/N: Wow that was tough to write! I'm going to have updates biweekly, instead of the normal weekly routine. Also, if you haven't guessed by now, I replaced Riley and Ellie with Duck and Clementine. Additionally, I should point out their ages. Clementine is ten years old and Duck is eleven years old.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I want to thank everyone for the support and I will try not to butcher this fanfic.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Walking Dead **_**or**_** The Last of Us**_**. All rights reserved to their respective owners.**

"Are you kidding me?" Clementine asked as she looked at the amazing sight of the mall lit up. Usually the shrubbery that tried to reclaim the land from manmade structures ruined the scene, but it was actually vibrant against the light. A lit up carousel was the centerpiece on the whole floor and it was accompanied by the two SUV's that were used in the brick-throwing competition from earlier.

"Told ya." Duck said as he walked towards the carousel.

"Wait. Won't the soldiers spot the mall being all lit up?" Clementine asked as she followed him to the carousel.

"Nah, the exterior lights don't work." Duck explained.

"How do you know that?" Clementine asked.

"This Firefly, Russell, told me all about it." Duck replied as the two arrived at the carousel. "This looks fancy. You want to try it?" Duck asked.

Clementine smiled with a nod and she quickly went to the nearest horse figurine. She grabbed onto the pole and huffed as she tried to pull herself up onto the ride. "Wow, I've always wanted a real one of these." Clementine remarked. "Okay. So how do I look?" Clementine asked Duck as he stood behind the control panel to the carousel.

Duck scoffed and said, "Maybe you should grow some more, then you wouldn't have such a hard time getting on that thing."

"I would if I could." Clementine sneered.

Duck chuckled and said, "Ready or not, here we go." Duck pulled a lever on the control panel and the ride started up. Soon the figurines were going in an up and down motion as the platform moved forward. Additionally, a beautiful song could be heard from the ride.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Clementine exclaimed, not expecting the ride to run like it did. The combination of both motions made it feel like the figurines were galloping. Her surprise immediately gave way to excitement and she started to laugh in pure joy. She saw Duck in her excitement and exclaimed, "Duck, come on! This is a blast!"

"No you got this." Duck said. "Keep going." Clementine replied with laughter as the ride continued. This was the most fun that she has had in her whole life. The ride made her feel like the stresses of her life vanish. She had one goal: have fun. Something that she never had when she was young. "This is awesome." She was about to pass Duck again and she exclaimed. "Come on up here, Duck. Sit next to me."

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Duck said with a chuckled. He climbed over the gate and stumbled up to the figurine next to her. Both children laughed as the carousel continued its circle. Unfortunately, the ride started to slow down and the music started to slur. Twenty years without regular maintenance had left the machine without much life left in it.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Duck exclaimed.

"Ah man." Clementine said sadly.

"I just got on." Duck said as the ride came to a complete stop. "Live!" Duck then sighed knowing that the ride's life was over and said, "Well, phooey."

"Well I loved it, so there." Clementine said with an appreciative smile.

"Oh…" Duck said as he realized that he forgot to give Clementine something. He pulled out a small book and said, "I got something else." Clementine looked to him questioningly as Duck cleared his throat. "What does the triangle say to the circle?" Duck asked with mischievous smile.

Clementine's face brightened and her eyes grew wide. "What is that?" Clementine asked.

"You're so pointless." Duck said.

"No way! You found another pun book?" Clementine exclaimed.

"What did the cannibal get when he showed up to the party late?" Duck asked. Clementine pondered for a couple of seconds until Duck said, "A cold shoulder."

Clementine laughed. Despite the joke being a little dark for her taste, Clementine still found it funny. "Here." Duck said with a chuckle. "This is for you."

Clementine accepted the pun book and looked over the pages of the book. "You know, you might become my favorite person again." Clementine said happily as Duck got off of the ride. "Just saying."

"I knew you would like it." Duck said with a chuckle. Clementine climbed down from the ride and followed the boy. They hopped the fence and Duck continued, "Come on, let's hear some more jokes."

"Okay." Clementine said as she looked through the book to fine a good joke. "I heard two peanuts walking into a park… one was as-salted."

"Haha! That was nice!" Duck exclaimed. Clementine joined the boy in his laughter until she found another joke.

"A boiled egg in the morning is really hard to beat." Clementine said. They both laughed again as Clementine continued to look for any noteworthy jokes. She made a disgusted face and shook her head at book. "Yuck." She said.

"What? What is it?" Duck asked.

"One of the jokes is really disgusting." Clementine said.

"Hey, come on, let's hear it." Duck said.

Clementine sighed and said, "Did you know that diarrhea was hereditary, it's in your jeans."

Duck laughed as Clementine shook her head. "That was funny." Duck said.

"That was gross." Clementine said as she looked for a new joke. "I'm glad that I know sign language… it's quite handy."

Clementine giggled as Duck looked to her with a confused look. "Eh… that was kind of weak." Duck said.

"That was silly." Clementine said as she straightened herself up. "A short psychic escaped prison… he was a small medium at large."

They both laughed for several seconds and Duck said, "That was the best one so far."

"Alright." Clementine said as she placed the pun book in backpack. "That's enough. I'm putting this away. Until next time, puns."

* * *

><p>They both continued to scope the mall's ground floor until Clementine spotted a picture booth. "Ohh… come on Duck, this looks like fun." Clementine said as she dragged the boy to the machine.<p>

"Do I really have to? It looks too cute, and you know how I don't like cute things, with you being the exception." Duck said.

"Aww, thanks." Clementine said with a sweet tone. "Come on, please."

"What did I ever do to deserve this punishment?" Duck asked. Clementine started to frown and she looked down sadly. Duck sighed and said, "Alright, I'll go through a round of this, but that's it." Clementine sent a thankful stare and the two entered the machine.

"How do you start it?" Clementine asked.

"You just following the instructions, I think." Duck replied as he closed the curtain. He sat down next to Clementine and analyzed the screen. "Okay press that middle button to start it."

Clementine did as he asked and the screen changed to show three different themes. Her eyes widened as she analyzed her option. She quickly pressed the button that indicated love.

"I like your style Clem." Duck said with a smirk. "Are you also going to kiss me?"

"No, Duck. We're just having fun." Clementine replied as she pressed the button that said okay. The screen changed with a sound effect and Clementine, "Oh okay. Smile." She told her friend. They both straightened up and looked to the screen. The screened flashed and the loud ring could be heard indicating another photo to be taken.

"Okay, scary face." Clementine said. She and Duck pretended to growl and had their hands out as if to grab someone with their fingers extended in a creepy grab. They showed their teeth and made it so that they looked as scary as possible. "Quick, move in, move in!" Clementine suggested. Duck obliged and they growled once again. The screen flashed and took the photo of the two.

"Oh, let's do an ugly face." Duck suggested, finding himself wrapped up in the excitement of the photo booth.

"Yeah." Clementine chuckled. Duck stuck his tongue out and tilted his head as Clementine looked at the screen cross-eyed with a serious look. The booth flashed again taking their photo.

"Alright, we're down to the last one." Duck said.

"Silly face!" Clementine chimed in.

"How about something different." Duck said.

"Like what?" Clementine asked with the counter of the next photo to be taken getting closer and closer to zero.

In one swift movement, Duck removed her hat and placed it on his head and kissed her. Her cheeks became red and the booth flashed again. "Alright, we're done." Duck said as he separated from the girl. He took Clementine's hat off and handed it to the blushing girl.

She couldn't believe what just happened and asked, "D-D-Duck, wh-what was that?"

"Well it was a love themed photo take." Duck said with a mischievous grin. "And like you said, we're just having fun." Clementine didn't know what to say and instead placed her hat back on her head. Duck looked over the photos that were taken. "I have to admit, the last one's a keeper."

"We're throwing that last one away." Clementine said.

"Oh come on, Clemmy. Don't be that way." Duck said with a smirk.

"That first one is just as bad." Clementine said. As she noticed what Duck did in the first photo, the boy laughed and received a push from her. "You and your bunny ears." Clementine said.

"Still, it looks pretty cute." Duck said. "Come on, even you can't deny that."

"Alright, yeah, it is pretty cute." Clementine said in agreement.

"Then it's settled. Let's print these out." Duck said as he pressed the button that was beneath okay. The screen went to one of the characters holding a cell phone and it read: Share on Facebook, with a lowercase f next to it.

"What's a Facebook?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know." Duck said. "Maybe it prints our faces in a book." Clementine shook her head and pressed the button underneath where it said 'no' on the screen. "Oh, okay. We can just print our pictures." Duck said as he pressed the button underneath 'print' on the screen.

The machine immediately indicated that it was out of paper. Clementine frowned, figuring that they wouldn't keep the photos from today. "Hit retry." Duck said. "Machines this old will sometimes jam. It might just need another try."

Clementine pressed it again only to receive the same message. "Oh come on." Clementine pouted.

"Maybe you just need to bang it, a little bit." Duck said as he hit the screen. An error message popped up followed by another hit from Duck which stopped the machine altogether. The lights went out within the machine and both children jumped slightly. "Uh oh." Duck said.

"If anyone asks, it's your fault." Clementine joked.

"Why are you always blaming me for everything?" Duck asked with a smirk.

The girl shrugged and said, "I don't know, it's easier that way." Clementine replied.

Duck gave out a defeated chuckle and relaxed back into the seat he was in. Clementine joined him and the two contemplated on the next course of action. "Sooooo….." Duck and Clementine said almost simultaneously. They looked to each other unsure of what the other was about to say.

"…You wanna keep exploring?" Duck asked.

Clementine nodded and said, "Yeah, I'd like that."

The two got out of the photo booth as they could hear Vera announcing, "Attention, the 6 AM shift starts in ten minutes. All drafted citizens must report for duty. Anyone absent-"

"Ugh, I hate that lady." Duck said as he interrupted the announcement. "She's so boring to listen to. I absolutely want to fall asleep when I hear her."

"Yeah, she sounds mean." Clementine said.

"Ha, you know Vince told a joke about her." Duck said. "He said that she wouldn't sound so much of a dick if she had a cup of coffee."

"What is a coffee?" Clementine asked.

"I have no idea." Duck said. "I tried to ask, but the whole room was bursting in laughter." Duck's eyes widened and he grinned. "Clem, check this out! One of the escalators is working!" Duck then ran towards one of the escalators with Clementine following quickly behind.

Both paused at the sight of the escalator and Duck huffed, "Okay. It can't be that tough. I mean people from before figured this out." He placed one foot on one of the moving steps but his other foot didn't follow. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Duck exclaimed. Finally, he regained his balance by picking up his other foot and placing it on the moving step with his other.

After watching Duck get on the escalator, Clementine knew how to proceed on the device. She hesitated for a couple of seconds until she finally stepped onto one of the steps with both feet. "Whoa." Clementine said as she tried to regain her balance. It was a weird feeling being on the escalator but soon both started to enjoy it.

They both eventually reached the top. "Okay, that was fun." Clementine said.

"Ha, yeah. It isn't even supposed to be a ride." Duck said. He looked over some of the former stores and his eyes widened. "Clem, you are not going to believe this."

Clementine didn't have to follow his line of vision to see what he was talking about. They both looked to a lit up arcade and their jaws dropped in amazement. "No way!" Clementine exclaimed as she ran into the store with excitement.

It was now Duck's turn to follow as he exclaimed, "Wait up, Clem! We don't know if there are any infected in there!" The boy followed the girl inside to see her at once of the video games trying to press start.

"No, no! Please don't tell me it's busted!" Clementine exclaimed. To her sadness, the blue error screen remained.

"It's busted." Duck said bluntly.

Clementine sighed and said, "I really wanted to play this game. Darn."

"You can still play it, you know?" Duck explained.

"How?" Clementine asked.

"Okay, come here." Duck said as he placed her left hand on the joystick and her right hand over the block, punch, and kick command buttons. "Now, close your eyes."

"Are you trying to kiss me again?" Clementine asked with a smirk.

"No, just do it. I'm going to show you how to play a busted game." Duck said. Clementine closed her eyes and Duck continued, "Now, you're playing as the badass archer known as Sniper."

"Really?" Clementine asked as she opened her eyes.

"Eyes, Clem." Duck said.

"Okay, sorry." Clementine said as she closed her eyes again.

"He stands at the edge of the Shadow Temple, an ancient mystical building where they hold the tournaments of the immortals." Duck explained the scenario as Clementine started to form a picture in her head. "Your opponent, Blackfang, steps out of the temple. He's a strong mercenary and crime lord who wants to use the tournament to gain more control. And you are his next opponent. The music starts to pick up as the match begins. Are you ready?"

"Bring it." Clementine replied with a smile getting wrapped up by the thrill of the fight that was about to happen.

"Round one starts. Blackfang rushes towards you. He throws a double punch your direction. Jump up!" Duck explained. Clementine did as Duck had told her. "Nice, he overshot you. You landed right behind him. Quickly punch him in the back." Clementine pressed the punch command button and Duck continued, "You nailed him with a wicked punch that took fifteen percent of his health!"

"Haha, alright!" Clementine cheered.

"He spins around and attacks you with a shadow punch attack!" Duck explained.

"What do I do?" Clementine asked.

"Hold back and block to counter the attack." Duck explained. Clementine went left with the joystick and pressed the block command button. "Nice, Sniper used the bow just in time to block the punch. You skid backwards but took no damage. The final block knocks Blackfang off balance. He could recover any second. Quickly counter with a Fire Blitz Arrow! Go up, down, and punch." Clementine did as Duck had asked and he exclaimed. "Nice, that took out a decent size chunk of his health."

"Alright!" Clementine cheered.

"Uh oh, he grabbed you." Duck said. "Break free from him, by mashing punch." Clementine hit the button repeatedly four times until Duck said, "Okay you're free. Now hit up, punch, and block to use Bow Charge." Clementine pressed up on the joystick and pressed the punch and block very quickly. "Quick block, he's coming right at you." Duck explained. In response, Clementine pressed the block button immediately.

"Nice." Duck said. "You got it. Now press down, forward, punch for a special move called Triple Arrow Sting." Clementine did followed Duck's directions as explained. "Yes, he's down for a couple seconds. Kick his ass!" Clementine's smile grew wider and wider until it became a grin. This was a blast!

Clementine nodded and started to press punch and kick repeatedly until Duck said, "Uh oh, he's getting back up, use a slide to put him back on the ground. Press forward, down, and kick." Clementine did as Duck asked and he said, "Nice Clem, he's down to a quarter of health. Okay, time to use some combos, press up, punch, punch, kick to use Archer's Fury."

Clementine did as she was told as Duck said. "Nice, now press kick, punch, up, punch to use Arrow Assault." Clementine pressed in the buttons correctly.

"Alright Clem. He doesn't have much health left." Duck explained. "Stun him with Flare Blitz Arrow." Clementine nodded and went up and down on the joystick, followed by punch on the commands. "Alright, now time for a finishing move. Press up, down, back, forward, punch to unleash your most powerful move, The Phoenix Arrow." Clementine performed the tricky command and Duck exclaimed, "The screen fades slightly darker as Archer grabs his last arrow. He pulls back the bow and the arrow slowly starts to catch on fire. Finally, Archer releases the arrow and it automatically turns into a giant fiery bird that burns Blackfang into nothing. It's over! You won Clem!"

Clementine opened her eyes and she looked to Duck with an appreciative smile. "So, not bad for your first game, huh?"

"Yeah, thanks Duck. That was so much fun." Clementine said.

Duck chuckled and said, "Well, let's keep going. I bet there are plenty of things we can get into."

"Actually, I think we should head back." Clementine said solemnly. Her expression was a complete twist as opposed to earlier where she was having the time of her life. "I need to head back."

"You got plenty of time." Duck said.

"Duck, I-I can't miss this morning's meeting." Clementine said. "It's mandatory. If I skip out, I'm going to be doing toilet cleaning duties for a couple months." Duck looked down sadly as Clementine continued, "We'll just pick up where we left off, tomorrow."

"I can't." Duck replied.

"Well, we could do it some other day then." Clementine suggested.

Duck approached her and shook his head sadly. "No Clem, I can't do it any other day."

"Wait… why?" Clementine asked.

Duck sighed and said, "Because, the Fireflies want to position me in a different city. I argued with them to stay here. But you know how Marlene is. Nothing's easy with her. Everything is a test. They're picking me up tomorrow."

Clementine looked down sadly and then back to the boy. "I'm sorry, Duck. I wish things could have been different." Clementine said.

"That's it?" Duck asked. "We've been friends all our lives and that's all you have to say?"

"Well what do you want me to say?" Clementine asked.

"Well how about some friendly advice?" Duck said. "You've always been smarter than me, you can figure something out of this, can't you?"

"Duck, you're in it too deep." Clementine said. "I-I can't just fix all of your problems for you, especially something this big."

"So what? You think I made a mistake?" Duck inquired. His anger was starting to escalate as a result. This was just like the last time that they met.

"I'm not saying that-" Clementine exclaimed as her own anger was starting to get the better of her.

"Oh yeah, it certainly sounds like I've made a mistake." Duck said angrily.

Clementine then realized something and asked, "Duck, why did you bring me here?" Duck hesitated for a couple of seconds until the girl exclaimed, "Answer me!"

"I don't know… I just wanted everything to stop for a couple of minutes, maybe I could just stay here." Duck said.

"That's a death sentence. Marlene would hunt you down." Clementine said. "You want my advice? Just go. Go with the Fireflies. We'll say our good-byes and hope that we never see each other on the battlefield when we're older."

Duck was unsatisfied by the girl's choice of words and said, "I'm going to check out the place."

"Duck." Clementine said trying to stop the boy. He ignored her and continued to walk away from her. "Duck!" Clementine said a bit more loudly, but the boy continued to ignore her and opened the door to the hallway.

Clementine sighed and said, "Dang it, Duck." She opened the door to follow the boy and was greeted with a destroyed hallway. Part of the hallway ceiling was destroyed and was only supported by debris that had gotten in. "Duck!" Clementine called for her friend. She received no response and ran down the hallway. She ducked underneath a couple of pipes and continued to search for the boy.

She then noticed a pair of double doors at the end of the hallway which had an exit sign over them. She ran up to the doors and opened them to find a storage room. She looked around the storage room which had several manikins standing in different parts of the room. Clementine gripped her right arm feeling nervous of all the manikins; it felt like she was being watched by the lifeless dummies. "I'm getting out of here. This is just creepy." Clementine said and she headed for the exit.

She opened the door to find Duck staring at a music display. Clementine approached him and released her right arm. "Have you ever seen anything like this?" Duck asked.

"Duck, please talk to me." Clementine said.

"Why should I?" Duck inquired. "That was your best advice? What the hell? I've been in worse situations than this and you got me out of those. So why can't you help me now?"

Clementine sighed and said, "Duck, I don't know what else I can do for you. Besides, you never really took my advice…" Clementine sighed and continued, "My gosh, you make me feel like a mom sometimes!"

"Well you certainly act like it." Duck hissed.

"Because, I'm worried about you!" Clementine exclaimed. "Duck, I was afraid that the very thing that I dread the most happened for forty-six days straight: I was afraid that my best friend died. And the only thing that I will remember him for is that picture that was tacked on my wall and his last words which I can't even repeat because you cursed at me." Duck looked to Clementine sadly as she sighed. "This whole day… do you feel guilty or something? Why would you bring me here?"

Duck shook his head in disgust and sighed. "I'm supposed to be holed up on the other side of town. I get caught as a Firefly, I'm dead." Duck said. "Guilt did not make me cross a city full of soldiers, Clementine. And yeah, I did some shit that I don't know how to take back, but- I'm trying." Duck then scoffed and said, "Speaking of…" He took off his backpack and threw it to the ground. It was partially open and its contents were revealed. It was their water guns that was confiscated by Bill. "Remember those water guns that Bill took away." He looked up to her to see her very surprised to see the water guns again. "I nearly got shot for these. Surprise."

Clementine went over and picked up the water guns. She examined them and said, "Okay, first, I'm going to destroy you. Then we'll talk." Clementine said as she started smile. She handed one of the water guns to Duck who smirked.

"You're about to get drenched." Duck chuckled.

"Let's see what you got, Firefly Boy." Clementine said as she started to pump up the water gun.

"You getting scared yet?" Duck asked. In response, Clementine blasted him with water. He replied with the same thing and soon both were starting to miss to avoid the other's attack. They separated from the standoff which allowed them to rebuild pressure within the water guns. Once again, they attacked each other with the water guns. Both laughed as they continued to get drenched. "Ah… man." Duck said as he held up his hands in surrender. "Forget it, I'm drenched."

"I think we both are." Clementine said as water dripped from her thick black curls. "How about we make this interesting? You go hide, while I count to five. Whoever gets hit first loses."

"I like that idea." Duck said. "Close your eyes; I'm going to go hide."

Clementine obliged and even placed an arm over her eyes to prevent peeking. Duck ran off as Clementine counted to five.

"You ready?" Clementine exclaimed. Upon receiving no response, Clementine decided to use the wooden displays for cover. She continued to search for the boy, but then she heard footsteps from behind. She turned around but was too late as she received a blast of water. "Oh come on."

Duck laughed as he approached her victoriously. "That was easy. Sneaking up on you from behind is the oldest trick in the book. Best two out of three?" Duck said.

"You're on." Clementine said as she started to count again. Duck ran off once again to find cover and waited for the girl to fall into his trap.

* * *

><p>Once again, Clementine used the displays for cover. She then spotted a figure running from a set of displays to some refrigerators. Clementine smirked and ran towards the other side of the refrigerators, hoping to out-flank Duck. She quickly turned to the other side to see that the boy had was nowhere.<p>

She looked perplexedly at the gap until she heard, "Over here." She looked right next to her to receive another shot of cold water. She yelped as the boy exclaimed, "Haha! We got the Water Gun Champion, right here everybody." Duck danced in victory as Clementine rolled her eyes at the boy's antics.

"Alright, alright, you got lucky." Clementine said.

"Luck?" Duck asked. "Hah, that's a laugh." He then aimed the water gun towards Clementine and smirked. "You want to go again?"

"I-I do, but I…" Clementine said as she looked down sadly.

Duck sighed as he lowered the water gun and said, "You gotta go back… I gotta go back."

"Yeah…" Clementine said sadly.

"Well, can I at least walk you home? You'd be pretty surprised by how many pedophiles and creeps live in the lower part of the QZ." Duck asked.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Clementine said.

"Come on, let's go get my backpack." Duck said. Clementine nodded and the two walked off to retrieve Duck's backpack.

…**To be continued.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, I need you guys to vote on a poll for this story. Nothing too major. Poll will be closed when I get to the end of the summer portion of the game which means that you guys have plenty of time. If memory serves right, the summer portion was the longest in the game.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Walking Dead **_**or**_** The Last of Us**_**. All rights reserved to their respective owners.**

Clementine and Duck approached the abandoned backpack that held the water guns. Clementine was lost in thought. The whole morning was the best time she had spent with Duck, but it would also be the last time that she would spend with her friend. Knowing Marlene, Duck would probably be set up in another QZ away from Clementine.

"Hey, so…" Clementine began to say. She sighed as Duck looked to her. "I may have been mean about it, but I meant it. You should go. In the Fireflies, you'll be treated with a lot more respect and they'll care about you. I mean, you've wanted this, forever. Who am I to stop you?"

"You're the only person who can." Duck said.

Clementine snickered and pretended to beg, "No, please, don't go. I'll be so miserable without you." They both chuckled and Clementine said, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine… You'll be fine… Maybe someday, we could catch up with each other."

Duck nodded and looked down to the water gun in his hand. "You should keep these." Duck said. "They aren't going to do me any good." Duck then handed the water gun to Clementine. She accepted the water guns and started to place them in her backpack as Duck asked, "You still lug that Walkman around?"

"Always." Clementine replied.

"Let me see it." Duck said. Clementine obliged and handed the device to Duck. "What's in it?" Duck asked.

"The tape that you gave me." Clementine replied.

Duck scoffed and said, "You really will be miserable without me."

"Whatever." Clementine scoffed.

"Leave that. Follow me." Duck told the girl as he headed deeper into the abandoned store.

"What are you doing?" Clementine asked as she got up and followed the boy.

"You'll see." Duck replied as he peeked his head between the aisles. "Bingo." Duck said and he approached a shelf with speakers on it. He connected a chord from the speaker into an input on the Walkman and the song called 'I Got You, Babe' played. "Yeah!" Duck said and he started dancing to the song.

"Duck?" Clementine said.

"Come on. I thought girls liked to dance." Duck said as climbed on top of a display case.

Clementine let out a sigh and joined her friend dancing to the song. However, she was slow and hesitant. "Come on!" Duck said as he took her arms and made her dance with him. Clementine chuckled and finally found her rhythm. They both laughed and danced as the song continued.

Clementine started to slow down as she looked to the handsome boy in front of her. The thought that this would be the last time she would see him hit her hard. "Here." Duck said as he tried to help the girl regain her momentum.

However, she shuttered from his assistance. Duck's face warped from happiness to concern and he asked, "What is it?" He then noticed the girl's eyes starting to tear up. "Hey... What's wrong?" He asked.

"Don't go." Clementine whimpered.

Duck looked into the girl's eyes which read nothing but sadness. Duck gripped the Firefly pendent which was source of Clementine's pain and yanked it off. He threw it to the ground which created a loud clank.

Clementine was surprised and overjoyed by the boy's action and immediately kissed him. He was surprised by the kiss at first but started to kiss back. The kiss didn't last very long and the two separated. Despite how mature, they were, neither really knew what love was. Clementine's cheeks flushed and she stuttered, "I…I…I'm sorry… I…"

"I knew you always liked me." Duck said with a large grin.

"So… what do we do now?" Clementine asked.

"We figure it out." Duck said. "I mean with my strength and your wit, we can-"

"Wait." Clementine said. The two then heard several infected heading towards them and the speaker. They yelled and screamed in search of fresh meat which was in the form of the two children.

"Shit, the speaker-" Duck exclaimed as he looked over to the device. The device had drawn the horde right to them.

"Duck, shoot them!" Clementine exclaimed as one of the infected growled in their direction and raced towards them.

Duck pulled out his Glock 17. He shot the first infected and it slumped to the ground. "Come on! We got to go!" Duck exclaimed as he jumped off of the display. Clementine followed him and the two raced for the exit that they used earlier. Duck fried at a couple more infected as Clementine slashed at another with her pocket knife. They both pushed the exit door open to escape the remaining infected which were the slower ones that relied on echo-location and were heavily protected due to the fungal plates. These infected were known as Clickers, and they were considered as one of the most dangerous infected. "Barricade the door!" Duck exclaimed as he leaned against it.

Clementine frantically looked around the room until she found a metal pipe on the ground. She handed it to Duck and he placed the pipe underneath the door handle. He backed away from the door and saw the door shutter and creak from the pressure on the other side. "Good enough. This way!" Duck said and he raced for the door on the other side of the storage room.

"What about our backpacks?" Clementine asked as she kept up a decent pace with the boy.

"F*** the backpacks." Duck said. "Let's worry about 'us' first." He headed for the door to be greeted with an unpleasant surprise. Several infected were running for the door most of them were runners and they were coming up quickly to the door. "Shit." Duck muttered as he slammed the door. He then picked up another metal pole and placed it in between the handles. The doors were beaten from the other side but didn't open all the way.

Duck looked around and noticed an industrial garage door. "There, that should lead us somewhere." Duck explained. "Help me with this." Duck went to the garage door and waited for Clementine to help him. Clementine joined alongside him and grabbed onto the bottom of the door. "Okay, ready?" Clementine nodded and the two began to lift the garage door. The door itself was rather heavy and lacked the pulley to help it stay open. Duck realized this and said, "Go in there and find something to keep this open. Go, I got this."

Clementine obliged and she crawled underneath the space. She looked around the room and was relieved when her eyes rested upon a cart. She grabbed the cart and pushed it towards the door. "Clementine, hurry!" Duck exclaimed from the other side of the garage door. "They're almost through." Clementine pushed the cart underneath the door just in time. Duck dived underneath and shot at one of the pursuing infected. "Let's move." Duck said as he got back up. Once again he led the way and Clementine followed. They had to get out of the mall.

Duck went up to a couple of doors and leaned against them while turning the doorknob, but it was locked. He quickly shot the doorknob and tackled one of the doors. "Through here! Come on!" Duck exclaimed as the infected from behind continued to pursue the two children.

Clementine followed Duck into a parking lot that was filled with abandoned and broken down cars. However, it was also filled with the cries of the infected. Two runner easily picked up on their scent and ran at the two as they looked for the exit. Duck jumped onto a semi-truck's flatbed and helped his shorter friend up. He looked around for an exit as the two runner slammed into the flatbed. It shook from the impact but it didn't cause the two to lose their balance. "There." Duck said as he pointed to an exit. The two hopped off the flat bed and made a mad dash for the exit with several infected behind them.

They ran into the hallway where the ceiling was destroyed and the vents almost touched the ground. Some debris made a small opening for the two crawl through. Duck dived underneath the vent and through the opening. He then got up and ran ahead as Clementine crawled through the opening. However, one of the runners grabbed onto her feet and tried to bite into her flesh. She quickly replied with a stab of her pocket knife into the runner's skull. The runner fell limp and Clementine escaped its grasp, but now Duck was in trouble.

"Get off me!" Duck exclaimed as he kicked a runner that held down both of his hands. Clementine raced towards him and kicked the runner in the leg. It fell with a shout as she stabbed the runner in the head. It yelled out a death cry as Duck huffed, "Wow."

"You alright?" Clementine asked as she retrieved her knife.

"Yeah, I'm good. Come on, we're not out of the woods yet." Duck said and he hopped over some overturned footlockers. Clementine followed and they ran up a set of stairs.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, the two were greeted with two more runner. "Infected!" Duck exclaimed.

"They're behind us, too." Clementine said. She looked around until she noticed a room to their right. "Quick, in here." Clementine said. She led the way in but Duck immediately took the lead again when Clementine had to go around some of the tables and other debris.

"Go, go, go, go, go!" Duck exclaimed as they ran into a part of the mall that was in construction before the apocalypse.

"They're getting closer." Clementine said as the sounds of the runners' wails were intensifying.

"Shit!" Duck exclaimed as two runners greeted them at the stairs. "Come on." Duck said as he jumped from the railing and landed on the unfinished, wooden platform. Clementine followed as Duck leapt for the scaffold on the opposite side. He waited for Clementine as she jumped for the scaffold. However, her height worked against her and she nearly fell to the ground below. She gasped as she clung onto the scaffold until Duck said, "Here, I got you." The boy extended his hand out and helped the girl get on the scaffold.

Thankfully, none of the infected could follow them and any that did, fell to the floor below. "Come on! We're almost out!" Duck exclaimed, but to his and Clementine's horror they could hear three more runners approaching them.

Duck and Clementine ran into an unfinished room which led to several platforms. The large platforms were at different levels and acted as large stair steps for the two and they started to climb up until they reached a scaffold that led to a window. That window would lead them to safety and freedom from the harassment of the infected. Meanwhile, the cries of the three runners could be heard below, sending a cold chill down the children's spine. One misstep and the results could be disaster.

Duck climbed up the scaffold and then onto the window frame. He looked to Clementine who was nearly at the top where he was. "Reach up, I got you." Duck said as he extended his hand out.

However, Clementine climb up the scaffold was hasty and the scaffold became unstable. The instability of the scaffold was finally evident when it started going backwards. "Oh no!" Clementine exclaimed. She then fell from the top of the platform to floor below with a squeal. She hated heights and the fact that she was falling was horrifying, but not nearly as horrifying as what awaited for her below.

Clementine hit the ground with a groan as Duck yelled, "Clem!" Clementine looked up just in time to be face-to-face with one of the runners. She kept the runner back but it was quite strong. The runner was getting closer and closer to Clementine's neck. Out of instinct, Clementine placed her forearm up to protect her neck. The runner chomped down on her forearm as another runner ran for the struggle.

"Duck!" Clementine exclaimed. The boy shot the approaching runner and the runner that was on top of his friend. While he did kill the approaching runner, the one on top of Clementine was only stunned. Duck finished it off with two shots to its skull. He pushed the runner off of her and went to help her up, but he didn't notice the last runner as it charged at him.

The runner tackled the boy to the ground and tried to bite him as well. "Duck!" Clementine exclaimed and she ran to help the boy. She brought out her pocket knife and stabbed the creature in the throat as Duck grunted and kicked the creature off of him.

With the room now clear of infected, Clementine and Duck huffed from their near-death experience. "I…I think it's clear." Clementine said as she looked around the room.

Duck sat next to her, his eyes glued to her forearm with a saddened expression. "Clem." Duck said as Clementine looked back to the boy. "Clementine, your arm."

Clementine looked down to her right arm and was horrified to see the bite. She dropped her knife and her hazel eyes widened in horror. It was the infamous bite that had claimed the lives of millions in the once superpower known as the United States. It was the bite of death and now she wore it. "No, no, no, no." Clementine said as she started to rub the bitten area, hoping it was just blood splatter, but it wasn't.

She looked to Duck horrified as he held up his bitten hand. He huffed as he tried to process the situation. This wasn't going to be fixed by Clementine's wit or his strength.

Clementine sat next to him and she started to whimper. "What… What are we… going to do now?"

"The way I see it… we got two options." Duck said as he held his Glock 17. "Option one, we take the easy way out. It's quick and painless. Plenty of people have done it. But…" Duck then laid his handgun down and continued, "I'm not a fan of option one. Option two… is we fight."

Clementine wiped her eyes and she asked, "Fight for what? We're going to turn into one of those things."

Duck sighed and nodded his head. "Yeah, but you know… there were a million ways we should have died before today. And there'll be a million ways we can die before tomorrow. But we fight… for every second that we spend with each other. We fight till our last breath, whether that be two minutes… or two days. As long we can spend our last moments with each other… we'll at least die happy."

"What's option three?" Clementine asked.

"Sorry… there is none." Duck said as he leaned his head on hers. Clementine began to whimper again to which Duck replied with a quick hug. "Come on, let's get out of here." Duck said as he got up. Clementine hesitantly followed the boy. However, if Clementine would have known what awaited her for the next year, option one may have been more appealing. Or maybe not.

**Three Weeks Later**

Clementine waited for Marlene's return within the dull and lifeless room which used to be small cafe. Nothing in the room was cheery or bright, it was just dull. It didn't help that Marlene had kept her in the room ever since she found her… And Duck… Poor Duck. Thinking of the boy brought tears to her eyes. It didn't matter that she had a whole month to mourn, she still missed the boy. He turned within an hour after they both got bit… she had to put him down… She spent five more days within the mall living off of the rain that she collected in a plastic container and squirrels that she would shoot with the use of the Glock 17 that her friend used to carry. She would skin and cook the animals over a fire that she started with the use of some wood on the roof of the mall and the lighter that was in her pocket. At the time, she didn't know what to do since she was bit. She couldn't return to the quarantine zone because they would have quickly shot her upon seeing the bite. But she couldn't go outside either. She lacked the experience to go outside and survive on her own.

On day five, she heard gunfire within the mall. She was later discovered by Marlene and the Fireflies. Since then, she had been in the dreadful room and she had to start wearing a long-sleeve purple and white striped shirt, her black t-shirt was replaced with a purple one, and she received a new pair of jeans. She kept thinking of her deceased friend and the last time she ever saw him…

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Marlene stumble onto the floor with an older, heavy-build man helping her up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa…" The man said. His accent was different, almost to the point that he sounded foreign to Clementine. "Come on now. Get on up."

Clementine rushed to Marlene's side and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Marlene replied as she grabbed the nearby bar for support.

A woman who slightly younger than the man entered and they looked to Clementine perplexedly. "You're recruiting kind of young, aren't ya?" The man asked.

"She's not one of mine." Marlene replied.

"My word, you're shot." Clementine said with her eyes staring at the gunshot wound. "I-I-I can stitch you up, real quick."

"No, I have an experienced doctor with me; he's on the other side of town. I'll get patched up there. I got us help." Marlene said as she indicated to the man and woman. "But I can't come with you."

"W-Why not?" Clementine asked.

"Clementine, we won't get another shot at this." Marlene said.

"Hey-" The older man said which made both Marlene and Clementine look to him. "We're smuggling her?" The man asked as he gestured to Clementine.

"There's a crew of Fireflies that will meet you at the Capitol Building." Marlene said to the older man and the woman.

"That's not exactly close." The woman scoffed.

"You're capable." Marlene hissed. "You hand her off, come back, and the weapons are yours. Doubled of what Robert sold me."

"Speaking of which- where are they?" The woman inquired.

"Back in our camp." Marlene said.

The older man crossed his arms, not convinced by word of mouth and the woman scoffed, "We're not smuggling shit until I see them."

Marlene sighed and said, "Alright, Tess. You'll follow me. You can verify the weapons, I can get patched up. But she's not crossing that part of town." Marlene made a gesture to Clementine and continued, "I want Joel to watch over her."

The older man, Joel, protested, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I don't think that's the best idea."

"Are-Are they good people?" Clementine asked.

"Yes." Marlene replied. "I was close to his brother, Tommy. He told me if I was ever in a jam that… I could rely on him."

"Was that before or after he left your little militia group?" Joel inquired.

"He left you too." Marlene hissed. "He was a good man."

"Look, just take her to the north tunnel and wait for me there." Tess said to Joel.

"F****** shit." Joel spat. He walked over from the three and stressfully pinched the bridge of his nose. He did not want anything to do with the young girl.

"It's just cargo, Joel." Tess said.

"Maybe, this isn't a good idea, Mar-" Clementine said but was interrupted by Marlene.

"No more talking. Just go, you'll be fine." Marlene said. She struggled to get up and looked to Joel with a nod.

Joel looked to Tess and huffed, "Don't take too long." He then turned to Clementine and said, "And you- stay close." Clementine looked back to Marlene one last time and the woman gestured her to follow the aged smuggler. Clementine obliged and they left the dull room that Clementine was forced to stay in for three weeks.

* * *

><p>Outside, Clementine looked around the city landscape. As much as she did despise the city itself, it was nice to see the skyscrapers again. Even the horrid fish smell of the air was welcomed this time. Joel looked over from the door and approached the fresh bodies on the ground. Clementine followed him and was shocked to see the bodies. "Whoa, I heard all of the shooting, but my word… what happened?" Clementine asked.<p>

"Fireflies." Joel replied as he went up to one of the bodies leaning against an unused newspaper dispenser. He got down in front of the dead Firefly to examine his pendent. "Same thing is going to happen to us, if we don't get off the street." Joel then got up and headed for a set of stairs which led to a fenced-in area.

Clementine followed him as they could hear Vera's monotone voice announcing about reporting stragglers to the main office. "Down here." Joel said to Clementine as he ran down into an underground walkway. "Come on, keep up." Joel spat as Clementine caught up with the smuggler.

"Attention, aiding or helping any wanted criminals is punishable by death. Do not put yourself at risk. Report any suspicious activity immediately." Vera announced as the two were back on the regular walkway which was fenced-in and separated from the outside sidewalk.

Joel heard several military vehicles pass by and he held out his hand to stop Clementine. The girl stopped and looked to the man. "We're going to need to crouch down." Clementine nodded and waited for Joel to start. His knees cracked as he squatted down and he proceeded to slowly inch towards the other side which would allow him into an apartment. Clementine followed him cautiously until they reached the desired alley. Joel stood up and sighed, "Way too close." He entered into the backyard of an apartment through the use of the alley and looked up to the apartment's fire escape.

Clementine joined him and looked to the fire escape, as well. "Do we need to get up there?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah, I just…" Joel said as he looked around. His eyes stopped upon seeing a mobile dumpster against the wall. "Bingo." Joel said as he went and grabbed the dumpster. He grunted as he pushed the dumpster towards the fire escape. The wheels squeaked loudly from the rust that had built up on them for years. Clementine backed away from to give Joel some room while holding her right arm. It was a nervous tick that she had from a very young age. For some reason, holding her right arm comforted her, somehow.

Joel finally reached the fire escape and pushed the dumpster against it. He climbed up onto the dumpster and then jumped up onto the fire escape. Clementine released her right and followed him in climbing the dumpster, but she stopped herself when it came to the fire escape. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Joel asked as he waited for the girl on the second level of the fire escape.

Clementine looked up and down the fire escape and said, "I'm going to need help. I don't think I can jump up to where you are. Can you give me a hand?"

"Are you serious?" Joel inquired. Clementine just stared at him waiting for him to comply. "Alright." Joel said as he laid on his stomach and extended his hand down towards her. "Can you get up here now?"

"I think so." Clementine said as she stepped back and jumped up to his hand. She grabbed onto his hand and Joel pulled her up onto the fire escape. He noticed that the girl was rather light; she looked ten but she didn't weigh very much. After she was settled onto the fire escape, Clementine looked to Joel and said, "Thanks."

"Yeah, sure thing kid." Joel said as he started to climb the stairs. There were many questions that ran through Joel's mind about the girl. He decided to start at the very bottom of his question roster. "So your name is… Clementine?"

"Yep." The girl chirped. "You can just call me Clem, though."

"Alright. Well, I… I have to say, you are the first person, I've ever met with the name Clementine." Joel said as they walked up the fire escape and entered an open door at the top.

"This tunnel. You and Tess use it to smuggle things?" Clementine asked as they entered into the hallway which in itself had plenty of outside debris covering the ground, the once white walls were covered in dirt and grime, and the windows were shattered.

"Yup." Joel said.

"Have you ever smuggled a kid before?" Clementine asked.

"No, that's a first." Joel said. Joel was still unsure of the girl and he asked, "What's the deal with you and Marlene, anyway?"

"I don't know. She's a friend, I guess." Clementine said somewhat unconvinced by what she was saying. If anything, Clementine felt more like a tool for Marlene up to recent. The two started to leave the hallway which led to a skyway which connected the apartment to another apartment that was across the street. The skyway was about the same as the hallway. It had shattered windows, and debris laid everywhere.

"Your friend, huh?" Joel chuckled. "You're friends with the leader of the Fireflies. And what're you, ten?"

"Yeah." Clementine replied. "She knew my mom. And she's been looking after me, somewhat."

"So where are your parents?" Joel asked.

Clementine pondered as she thought over the question. "…I'm not sure about my dad. I've heard people say that he got bit and died two weeks before I was born, and I've also heard that he is a deserter and is with a group of bandits now. As for my mom, she died a day after I was born. She died from birth compilations." They were now in the apartment building that was on the other side of the skyway.

"Hm, so instead of staying in school, you decide to run off and join the Fireflies." Joel said as he started to walk up the creaking wooden steps that would lead to a hallway. "Is that it?"

"Uh… no it's more complicated than that." Clementine said as she followed the smuggler. "Look, it's nothing against you or anything, but I can't tell you why you're smuggling me. Marlene made it clear to me that I can't tell anyone."

"You wanna know the best part about my job?" Joel said as he reached the top of the stairs and headed down a hallway. The hallway was visibly seen to have more use than the one that Joel and Clementine had passed through earlier. It consisted of empty beer bottles next each door and burnt out cigarette buds littering the floor. It was filled with human activity as opposed to the other apartment which was littered with mud and parts of the destroyed wall. "I don't gotta know why I'm smuggling you. Be honest with you, I could give two shits about what you're up to."

Clementine shrugged and said, "I'm sorry. I can talk to you about anything else, but I can't talk to you about that."

Joel grunted in recognition and he led the girl further down the hall. Joel stopped at last door to the left of the hallway and opened it. He went inside with Clementine following him and he muttered, "This is it."

Clementine looked around the room and noticed that the room was a typical apartment room. Joel went to a well preserved couch in the middle of the room. Clementine looked to him as he relaxed on the couch and laid back with a groan. "So what do we do, now?" Clementine asked.

"Kill time." Joel muttered.

"Um okay… you got any books I can read or paper that I can draw on?" Clementine asked.

"Nope, this is a smuggling room, not a kid's room. I am sure you will figure something out." Joel said as he tried to ignore the girl.

Clementine sighed in response and she proceeded to the window. It's not like she could force him to interact with her. She looked out the window and analyzed the street below as she could hear Joel mumble and groan in his sleep. Clementine knew what that was like; she has went through the same thing when she lost Duck. She would mumble in her sleep. Clementine continued to look out the window and was somewhat ecstatic for the change in the scenery when the slightly cold, summer afternoon turned into a cold, rainy evening.

…**To be continued.**

**A/N: Ah yes, Duck is gone, but now Clementine's with Joel. Onward with the main story.**


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